Santa Clara County
Biographies
MADAME VEUVE LAMOLLE & CO
Lamolle House and Restaurant
proprietors of the Lamolle House and restaurant, corner of San Pedro and Santa
Clara Streets, San Jose, have for the past eighteen years conducted a restaurant
in this city, the management and cuisine of which have a reputation second to
none in the state or the Pacific Coast. Madame Lamolle has had ample experience,
having studied the art of cooking in France, and has conducted first-class
establishments for the past thirty years in Virginia City, Reno, and Winnemucca,
Nevada, previous to establishing business in San Jose in 1872. They have an
average of seventy-five transient guest per day besides their regular table
boarders. There are twenty-seven sleeping-rooms in the house. They specially
cater to the few who want good accommodations and fine French cooking. The firm
consists of Madame Lamolle, Emile J. Lamolle, the business manger, Mr. Alexis
Gaston, the chef de cuisine, formerly at Delmonico's in New York. Thus every
department of this well-conducted house is in experienced hands.
Madam Lamolle is a native of Luchon, Department of Huate-Garonne, France, who
come in her early youth to the Pacific Coast, and here remained. Emile J.
Lamolle was born in Eureka, Nevada County, California in 1859. He received his
education at Santa Clara College. From that school he went to San Francisco,
where he learned the business of machinist, finishing the apprenticeship a the
Union Iron Works. He continued at this business until five years ago, when he
returned home and took an interest in the Lamolle House. Mr. Lamolle's father,
Bernard Lamolle, a native of France, died in 1869. Madame Lamolle has one
daughter, Marie, now the wife of H Pfister, who is in the grocery business in
Santa Clara.
SOURCE: Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara
County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H.S.
Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888. page 367
PETER BALTZ
FRENCH BAKERY of EL DORADO ST.
SURNAMES: KESSER
PETER BALTZ was born in France on the tenth of May, 1831. At the age of
seventeen he commenced to learn the trade of baker, and after completing it, in
1853 crossed the Atlantic to the United States. Being a stranger in a strange
land, and entirely dependent upon his labor for a livelihood, he experienced
many trials and hardships. During the three years following his arrival he
visited and worked in many of the principal Eastern cities, and in 1856 crossed
the continent to California, settling in Los Angeles. The next year, 1857, he
started a bakery in that place, and carried on business very successfully for
five years, when he lost $15,000 by fire.
Thinking to recover his fortunes in mining, he spent two years in hard,
unfruitful labor, and lost over $5,000 in money in the mines. Then he came to
San Francisco, $700 in debt, and resumed the bakery business. By diligence,
energy, and economy he again got a start and made money, accumulating several
thousand dollars. He then make a visit to his parents in Europe for a few
months, and on his return in 1869 settled in San Jose and opened the El Dorado
bakery, on West El Dorado Street, where he has done a prosperous business.
Industry and enterprise have brought their regard to Mr. Baltz in the way of a
handsome fortune. He owns over $75,00 worth of property in San Jose, has erected
a large business and hotel building on West Santa Clara Street this year,
costing many thousand dollars.
Mr. Baltz married Miss Chrisinte Kesser, a lady of his own country, to whom he
was engaged before his emigration. Mr. Baltz is a member of the Masonic Order
and of the Turnverein.
SOURCE: Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara
County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H.S. Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis
Publishing Company, 1888. page 449-50 Transcribed by Carolyn Feroben